Merkel cancels Tunisia trip, media cites anti-Islam film worries

September 26, 2012|Reuters

BERLIN, Sept 26 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkelhas cancelled a visit to Tunisia in early October, an aide saidon Wednesday, with a German paper citing safety concerns overunrest in the region in protest against a U.S.-made anti-Islamvideo.

Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said the visit was calledoff "by mutual agreement with the government of Tunisia". Hedeclined to give a reason but the Financial Times Deutschlandmentioned security worries in a preview of its Thursday edition.

The chancellor took a conciliatory tone with Germany's largeMuslim community during a call-in event with her party followerslate on Wednesday. With more than 3 million Muslims living inGermany, Islam had become "a part of us", she said.

"The majority of Muslims in Germany have clearly distancedthemselves from such actions," Merkel said of violent proteststhis month against the film "The Innocence of Muslims", duringwhich Germany's embassy in Sudan was stormed.

The German government has criticised the film as a crudeattack on Islam, with Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle callingit an "anti-Islamic hate video". German authorities say theywill consider banning any attempt to screen it.